Starting device for explosive-engines.



L. G. VAN RIPER.

- STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1910. w

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WITNESSES: I lA/VE/V 70/? {ZWM 051W, 0w

- A TTORlI/E) Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

,L'. G. VAN RIPER. STARTINGDEVIGE IOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

I APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1910. 1,044,952.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 ATTORNEY LEW/I116. VAN siren, or new loan, Iii-Y.

STARTING DEVICE non EX PLosIvn-mvenv ns.

. Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1912.

Application filed September 12, 1910. Serial No. ssrcco.

To all whom it may concern:

Be-it known that I, LEWIS C. VAN Rirnn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Start-- ingDevices for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to certain new and .10 useful improvements in thestarting mechafor explosive engines. The purpose of'my invention is toprovide a starting device which will release the starting. crank orstarting mechanism with no backward movement of said starting crank orstarting mechanism when a premature explosion'or back fire occurs, so asto prevent injury to the person or mechanism employed in operating thestarting device.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthe specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the'figures, wherein:

Figure 1 is a sectional view showing the starting mechanism in itsnormal position when the engine is either running automatically orstanding idle. Fig. 2 is a side sectional view. Figs. 3 and 4 are viewsshowin the operation of the starting device. y improved starting deviceconsists of a non-rotatable casing 1 which maybe fastened to anysuitable stationary support as for instance the front-cross member of anautomobile frame. The bearing 2 which forms a part of easing 1 is forthe purpose of car ing the revolving shaft 3, on one end of which may beconnected the starting crank 4 or other suitable device withwhich torevolve shaft 3. When shaft 3 (see Fig. 1) is revolved in the'directionshown by arrow 5, the lugs 6 and 7, which are -parts of shaft 3, presson the lugs 8 and 9 which are parts of sliding members 10 and 11 causingthe slidingmembers 10 and 11 to press outward and revolve as shown inFig. 3. These sliding members 10 and 11 with their friction lugs 16 and17 form an expanding friction clutch. As the slidingmembers 10 and '50ll-are'revolved the friction'r'ollers l2 and- 13. end ofare causedto'roll back to the large the pockets l4.- and 15, as shown in-Fig. 3,thereby permitting the sliding members 10 and 11 to slide outward untilthe friction 65. lugs 16 and 17 come incontact v'th and grip 1 the.inside of the cup disk 18 which is fess tened to or preferably is a partof the engine shaft 19 (see Fig. 2), so that any further rotary motionimparted to the starting dewoe is then transferred to the engine shaft-19. Should the premature explosion or back fire occur while the engineshaft 19 is being he transferred to the friction rollers 12 and 13,thereby releasing and permitting the engine shaft 19 to slip backwardwith no backward movement being imparted to the startmg crank.

When the engine starts forward, the increased speed of tlie engine shaftover the startingcrank will automatically release the engine shaft fromthe starting device, but I preferably use morepositive means," as thepins 20 and 21 (see Fig. 4:) which strike the lugs 6 and 7 when theengine shaft- 19 starts forward under power imparted by the engine,causing the sliding members 10 and 11 to withdrawtheir pressure andrelease the cup disk 18 thereby permitting the engine the startingdevice around with it.

, 16 and 17 and the cup disk 18 is withdrawn, the springs 22 and 23cause the friction rollers 12 and 13 to regain their normal position,see Figs. 1 and 4. e

As shown in Fig. 1 the clutch members 10 20 and 21, and the continuedbackward roto contract so that the lugs 16 and 17 do not touch thefriction cup disk 18. The rollers 12 and 13 are thusa'dvanced to theshallower ends of their inclined grooves 14 and 15-and are engaged bythe shouldersof the lugs which form the end wall of the groovesat theshallow ends, and further backward rotation canses' the clutch membersto con tract still more until the rollers 12 and 13 are drawn entirelyaway from the non-rotatable roller race, thus leaving the clutch and itsrotating means entirely free to rotate backward.

I claim:

' in connection with explosive engines. the combination of a frictionsurface fastened or connectedv to any engine shaft, an expandingrfriction clutch at all times rotatable either so revolved, the pressurebetween the 'friction lugs 16 and 17 and the cup disk 18 will and 11 canbe rotated backward at any time shaft 3 backward which 1. In a startingdevice adapted to be used shaft 19. to revolve forward without turningtation of the shaft-3 then causes the clutch 7 forward or backward at asingle operation, means rotatable either forward or backward forfrictionally connect-ing said friction clutch to said engine shaftthrough said friction surface to move connectedly in one direction.only.

2. In a starting device adapted to be-used in connection with explosiveengines, the combination of a friction surface fastened 10 or connectedto an engine shaft, a plurality ,of friction shoes'rotatable eitherforward or "backward, means rotatable either forward or backward forfrictionally connecting said shoes to said friction surface for rotat-115 ing it in a forward direction and means i whereby the saidfrictional connection will be discontinued upon the reverse movement ofsaid frictional connecting means or said engine shaft. 3. 'In a startingdevice adapted to be used I in connection with explosive engines, thecombination of a friction surface fastened "orcon'nected to an engineshaft, a plurality of rotatable friction shoes, means rotatable eitherforward or backward for frictionallv Y connectingsame to the engineshaft through said friction surface upon forward rotation of saidconnecting means, and means for causing said frictional connection tobecome inoperative upon backward rotation of said engine shaft. 4. In astarting device adapted to be used in connection with explosive engines,the "combination of a friction surface fastened or connected to anengine shaft, a plurality of friction shoes rotatable either forward orbackward, means rotatable either forward or I backward for frictionallyconnecting said shoes to said friction surface when said con- 40nect-ing means are revolved in a forward direction and means whereby thefrictional connection of said shoes to said friction surface will bereduced upon the reverse movement of said engine shaft.

5. In a startingdevice adapted to be used in connection with explosiveengines, the combination of' a friction surface fastened or connected toan engine shaft, an expandin friction clutch rotatable at all times 59eit er forward or backward, means rota.-

table either forward or backward for frictionally connecting said clutchto an engine shaft through said friction surface at a single operation,and means for reducing the friction in said frictional connection whenthe power exerted in a backward directlon on the engine shaft exceedsthe forward pressure exerted on said. frictional connecting means.

-" 80 6. In astarting device adapted to be used in connection withexplosive engines, the

combination of a friction surface fastened,

pr connected to an. engine shaft,'an expand-. in friction clutch at alltimes rotatable .65 cit er forward or backward, means rotaclutch andfriction surface when the backward, means rotatable either forward tableeither forward or backward for frictionally connecting said clutch tosaid engine shaft at a single operation, and means or reducing thefriction between said expanding friction clutch and friction surfaceupon the" backward rotation of said engine shaft.

7. In a starting device adapted to be used] in connection with explosiveengines, the combination of a friction surface fastened or connected toan engine shaft, anexpanding friction clutch rotatable either forward orbackward, means rotatable either for ward or backward for rotating andexpanding said friction clutch upon forward rota- 0 tion, anon-rotatable friction Y roller race, I friction rollers and springs forcontracting said friction clutch upon backwardrotation of the saidengine shaft by its engine.- 7 8. In a starting device adapted to beused 35 in connection with explosive engines, the

combination of a friction surface fastened or connected to an engineshaft, an expanding friction clutch at all times rotatable eitherforward or backward, means rotatable either forward or backward forfrictionally connecting said clutch to an engine shaft through saidfriction surface at a single operation and means for reducing thefriction between said expanding friction ower developed in a reversedirection by sald en-' gine exceeds the forward pressure on saidfrictional connecting means.

9. In a starting device adapted to be used in connection withexplosiveengin'es, the combination of a friction'surface fastened orconnected to an engine shaft, a plurality of friction shoes rotatableeither forward or or backward for frictionally connecting said shoes tosaid engine shaft through said fric tion surface to rotate it in onedirection, a

stationary annular friction surface, and means by which the pressure ofsaid friction shoes upon said first friction surface is transferred tosaid stationary annular friction surface upon the reverse rotation ofsaid engine shaft.

10. A starting device adapted to be used 1 5 in connection withexplosive engines, comprising an annular friction surface upon orconnected to an engine shaft, a startingcrank rotatable either forwardor backward, a plurality of friction shoes, means for causing said shoesto operatively' grip said annular friction surface u on the forwardrotation of said crank, an means for causing said grip to becomeinoperative upon the reverse rotation of said engine shaft byitsengine.

11. A starting device adapted to be used inconnection withexplosive-engines, comprising an annular friction surface attached orconnected to an engine shaft, a plurality of shoes slidably mounted uponeach other, no

for causing said shoes to frictionally connect with said annularfriction surface upon ing a non-rotatable friction roller race, an,

the rotation of said frictional connecting means in one direction andmeans for reducing the friction in said frictional connection of saidshoes to said friction surface upon the reverse rotation of said engineshaft.

12 In a starting device adapted to be used in connection with explosiveengines, the combination of a friction surface fastened or connected toan engine shaft, an expand- I ing friction clutch rotatable eitherforward or backward, means rotatable either forward or backward forrotating, expanding and frictionally connecting said clutch to saidfriction surface upon forward rotation .of said rotating means and meansfor reducing the friction of said-frictional connect-ion upon backwardrotation of said engine shaft, said friction reducing meanscomprisinclined friction roller groove integral with each member of thesaid expanding clutch, a

friction roller in each inclined groove and a spring behind saidfrictional roller to hold said friction roller always in frictionalengagement with the bottom of said inclined groove and the non-rotatablefriction roller race-upon forward rotation of said rotating means.

13. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, thecombination of a rotary clutch member connected 'to the engine andhaving a friction surface, a coiiperating friction shoe normally heldout of contact with said friction surface, a starting at any point uponthe reverse movement of the engine. a 14. In starting mechanism forinternal combustion engines, the combination of a rotary clutch memberconnected to the en gine and having a friction surface, a cooperatingfriction shoe normally held out ot contact with said friction surface, astarting member, connections between said starting member and said shoefor rotating the latter and for shifting said shoe to and from saidsurface and into and out of contact therewith at a single operation-assaid starting member is moved in opposite directions, a non-rotatablemember and means interposed between said non-rotatable member and saidconnections for releasing said shoe at any point in the path of movementupon the reverse movement of the engine.

15. In starting mechanism for internal combustion engines, thecombination of '-'a rotary clutch member connected to the engine andhaving a friction surface, a cooperating friction shoe normally held outof contact with said friction surface, a starting'member, connectionsbetween said starting member and said shoe for "rotating the latter andfor shifting said shoe to and from said surface and into and outofcontact therewith as said starting member is moved in oppositedirections, a non-rotatable member hating ,a surface of revolution, anda roller engaging said surface and revolving with said friction shoe forreleaslng the latter upon the reverse movement of the en- LEWIS ovaNRIPER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH FROEHLICE, ABRAHAM NOVICE.v

Copies of-this patient may be obtained for five cents each,by-addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

I Washington, D. 0. I

